The Hottest Careers of the Next Decade

The financial crisis and high unemployment rates are making people think twice before choosing a career or an academic path. Those who already have a profession are considering a change, and a career shift at the age of 40 is becoming more common than ever. Forget about becoming a Doctor or a Lawyer, here are some of the hottest career options for the next decade:

Clean Tech

According to UNEP report (the UN’s climate program), 8.5 million people will work in environment-related professions by 2030. The clean technology market is growing rapidly and is expected to create numerous jobs around the world in different areas: recycling, renewable energy (wind power, solar power, biomass, hydropower, biofuels), green transportation, electric motors and green chemistry.

Another field that will become crucial is consulting, as well as managing of environmental projects and developing future solutions. Since natural resources are disappearing and the world’s population is growing, we will need to find alternative solutions for food and agriculture; thus, the field of genetically modified food and crops will also become more essential.

Since water is becoming the most important commodity, water engineering is marked as one of the most wanted professions as well. Lastly, due to the ongoing environmental issues such as the BP oil spill and the Fukushima disaster, environmental crisis management is already leading the green-market job sector.

Green Architecture, Planning and Consulting

The growing awareness for sustainable living will increase the demand for green architecture, consulting, as well as city and infrastructure planning. New guidelines and regulations are coming into affect in regards to construction and planning, which means there will be a demand for architects, engineers and consultants who have the experience working in the green sector. A new niche in this sector is eco-hospitality and some hotels, resorts and restaurants are already applying this approach to their businesses.

In addition, there is already a growing demand for eco-design, eco-climate and bio-climate design, which combines elements of design and aesthetics with sustainability and ecology. The solar flowers that are “planted” all over Long Beach are a good example for a perfect combination of creativity in design with focus on sustainability. Toyota’s solar flowers are “planted” all over Manhattan and more cities and companies are starting to be a part of this trend. (http://solarflora.com/news). It is inevitable then, that this green-wave will bring the demand for green lawyers and consultants.

Nanotechnology

Nano-scale science and technology is a process involving the creation of high-performance materials and is expected to become one of the leading fields in the next decade. Nanotechnology jobs could be used in several sectors: medicine, biology, energy, electronics, robotics, manufacturing, environmental and commerce so any nano-related jobs is a good bet.

Biomedical Engineering

With the population growing older and the demand for better quality devices and equipment on the rise, according to CNN Money, this field was already rated as the best career in 2011. As the medicine field advances and the use and demand for artificial body parts grows in the wake of war, biomedical engineering is expected to continue growing rapidly through the next decade.

Data Mining

Data mining is the practice of extracting specific kinds of information from large databases using advance statistical methods, analyzing and summarizing it into useful information. Companies with strong consumer focus use it in the areas of retail, financial, communication and marketing. Many outsourcing companies offer data mining jobs in Asia, Africa and Australia.

Geriatric Care

As life expectancy goes up, people live longer and we can expect to see a growing demand for geriatric care especially when the baby boomers are getting ready to retire. Nowadays, people are more active in an older age and will require active communities and treatments with an emphasis on enriching classes and activities. Some jobs that relate to this field are: Massage Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Registered Nurse, Athletic Trainer, Nutrition Consultant, Dentist, Hospital, Health Care and Insurance Administrators and any jobs within the Pharmacology field.

English and Chinese Teaching and Translating

As the world becomes global, there is a higher demand for English Teachers all throughout Asia, Africa, South and Central America and the Middle East. Another growing area of interest is Mandarin translation due to the fast growth of the Chinese-language markets. Companies are targeting the Chinese-speaking markets and consumers and as a result, there is a growing demand for Chinese speaking Translators, Marketers and Consultants.

Mobile Media

One in four adults have a smartphone in the US and most of us use internet via our phones. As a result, the mobile media market is one of the fastest growing markets. Many new jobs are created in order to accommodate this growth: Graphic Designers, Video Graphics Designers, App and Game Developers, mobile commerce, cellular interface and platforms Developers and mobile Advertisers. Data shows that this market will continue to be one of the fastest growing markets in the next decade.

The Fall: Manual Laborers and Crafstmen

As the world is going virtual, in a few decades, there will be a sharp decrease in the manual-labor sector and some professions such as Welders, Locksmiths, Carpenters, Tailors, Watchmakers, Shoemaker and Engravers will be hard to find. Anyone with a specific skill or a craft technique will become on the verge of extinction and as a result, highly desirable.

Sources:

· “UC San Diego Study Reveals Top Ten Hot Careers for College Graduates”